Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-12-25

vested, and plenty of windmills work
ing their long arms lazily. By and by,
after quitting Anglers, the train on
which was travelling ran parallel to
the turnpike road that coursed the
ton of the famous levee of the Loire
This great river OF France, like the
greater Mississippi, is for miles and
miles almost bankless on its right
shore, and the widely wandering
stream has to be held in restraint IL
times of heavy rains and floods. even
as has that of the Father of Waters
This levee is not nearly so long as thai
of the Mississippi bottom lands, but II
is ever so much better made than the
one in the United States. 1t is twenty
four feet high, as many vide at the
top, and is constructed OF solid mason
nv. Begun as far back as ll60, 1t was
originally intended only to secure the
country from inundation, but, after
wards it became the main road IRON
town to town, and is now a fine turn
pike bordered by rows of poplars, as
we'll as an embankment against over
flowing waters that has length OF
ITO miles. 1t was not yet dusk when
we crossed the Loire to the side where
a bold bluff stands out boldly not far
from its shore. These heights are
almost perpendicular, and there are
quarries up there which were worked
for twelve centuries. In these old
auarries human beings now have their
residence; they are the beginning OF
a series OF subterranean habitations
in the rock that extend some distance
along these shores, and whose cur Gus
mysteries require close attention.
rhev are said to be inhabited by all
classes OF people, from the passing
tramp, who is satisfied with a nights
shelter, and the peasant who has
made them his home, to those who
are rich enough to furnish them with
all the comforts and luxuries that
taste and fancy may suggest.
Dinner was ready when L reached
my hotel in Saumur, and good was
the digestion that waited on the hearty
appetite. The next forenoon saw
that the town was picturesquely
placed at the foot OF range OF high
lands called the Coteau de Saumur,
and that a massive looking old chat
eau, perched on the summit of an
isolated craig, stood out grandly
against the clear sky and dominated
everything. l wandered down to the
school for cavalry officers, had look
at the antique Hotel de Vile, strolled
along the hue des Payens, whittier
the last OF the Huguenots OF this
metropolis of Professionalism" as it
was formerly called, retired, convert
ing their houses into SO many fortress
es to guard against being surprised by
their Catholic adversaries, and thence
climbed by street that Balzac him
self describes in Eugene Gran
det," and which boasts ancient
carved timber houses with stud
ded oak doors almost as mas
sive as those tried to swing at the
Castle of Anglers, under quaint, over
hanging corner turret5 and around
outlying walls, until l came to the
broad gate of the old chateau. Into it
marched as boldly as though |
owned the whole town, and l had
made about fifteen steps when
arrested me. Yes, l could go
on yonder ramparts if l liked: but not
into the castle, and when l demanded
why, she replied that it was all on ac.
count of the absence of certain
young officer who is put here to
guard it, and who now happens to be
away on vacation. So strolled on
inc of embattled walls that run along
he top OF a high down, saw that the
Did fortress was in tolerable repair,
ooked at the exterior OF the castle in
different aspects, envied the owners OF
the splendid vineyards back Of the
place, got tired OF counting the in
windmills which were
round on an eminence, took
a last look at the grand panorama,
landscape where | could see
railways, rivers running their
course, villas, towns,
castles and old towers, and then
gained a local guide in wooden shoes,
who had promised to show me a
couple of dolmans near the village OF
Bagneux, three leagues or so from
Saumur. l had seen a lot of these
archaeological remains
lown in Brittany, but one Of these
was said to be as fine vestige of the
ancient Gaulois race as there was in
and so ! found it to be.
Ours was a rural road that ran past
vines and fruit trees. and the fellows
'abots gave him much pain until
,reated him to a small bottle OF the
native red wine at convenient
luberge, after which he quite out
walked me. Except one of the four
enormous stones which roof this
particular dolman in, it is perfect in
every respect, and is the largest and
finest l ever saw. 1t is a covered
alley, so to speak, % feet in length,
"A in width, and 10 feet high, and
he legend is that 4 Gaulois chieftain
constructed it for his family tomb.
Yesterday | gave my tired legs a
rest, and rode out in an open fiacre to
Fontevrault. The road between the
bluff and some fiat lands that shore
he Loire, and for half the distance to
a matter OF some i've or
six miles, there was q continuous
stretch Of subterranean residences,
such as have already referred to. At
we turned sharp to the
light, and then came succession of
small clumps of graceful
hills, and accidents Of growth and
ground that would do painter good
70 look at. Presently it was up hill to
he historic abbey where repose the
bones OF Henry H., his wife, Eleanor
Richard of the Lion Heart-their
warrior son-and Isabeau Of Anjou,
widow of Occur de Lions brother John
Lakeland. The place is now a peni-
Tertiary for malefactors sentenced to
less than five years confinement.
The prison-keeper read my card and
then gave me permission to 90 inside
accom- panied by one OF the guardians.
| did not see the workshops, nor was
[ permitted to enter the dining-rooms,